Skyblue Mesa Newsletter

 

SKYBLUE MESA PARENT NEWSLETTER

SKYBLUE MESA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

A California Distinguished school

28040 Hardesty Street

Canyon Country, California 91351

Phone: (661)298-3260 Fax (661)298-3256; email dbohn@saugus.k12.ca.us

Volume 3 Number 10 November 3, 2009

______________________________________________________________________

From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Parents,

Healthy kids—that’s what every family wants. Here are some important things to think about in terms of your child’s mental and physical health.

Mental Health

They need their sleep. Children need 10 hours of sleep each night to be well rested and ready to do their best. Keep the TV out of their bedroom and have a firm “lights off” policy, with a little flexibility on Friday and Saturday nights.

Keep the lines open. As busy as you are, it is essential to be available when your children have something they need to talk to you about. Set up a code word, something silly, like “banana,” that they can mention to you when they have something troubling them. Let them know that the code word isn’t to be used lightly—like when a sibling is bothering them. When they do call you aside for something serious, give them your full attention.

Eating and Drinking

Ditch the junk. We all need a minimum of five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, so stock up on fresh fruit and 100 percent fruit juice drinks. If your kids eat at school, encourage them to take as many fruits and vegetables as they are allowed to have—and eat them before they start to eat their main dish. If you pack their lunches, stop including cookies and high-fat snacks. Substitute pretzels or light popcorn and fresh or dried fruit.

Watch what you drink. Water is absolutely the best thirst quencher around—zero calories, always available, and free. And, as great as milk is for growing bodies (adults too), it’s important to choose low-fat or fat-free milk instead of whole milk.

Physical Health

Move it. Go for family walks, runs, or bike rides several days a week. Have a family fitness “club,” charting everyone’s progress on everything from shooting hoops to jumping rope.

Keep your home smoke-free. If you or other adults in your household smoke, do your children a lifelong favor—never smoke in the house or in a car with them.

Second-hand smoke can lead to a number of serious health problems, from breathing difficulties to cancer. Quit if you can. Cut back as much as you can. And do everything you can to keep your children from ever taking up the habit.

Don’t overlook checkups. Fluoride treatments and early detection of cavities or gum problems can save your children toothaches and other dental problems. The same goes for doctor’s appointments—an ounce of prevention really is a pound of cure. There’s so much to worry about when you have children at home. But remember this: Keeping them healthy—both mentally and physically—is your most important job.

Debbie Bohn, Principal

Help the Children

For the month of November, we will collect all canned vegetables other than green beans and corn. Thank you

H1N1 Vaccination Clinics
Public Health's H1N1 vaccination clinics will provide free H1N1 vaccines to residents who do not have health insurance or a regular source of health care, and are in a priority group.
A list of dates and locations can be found on the Public Health website
at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov or by calling the LA County information
line at 2-1-1 from any landline or cell phone. The vaccine clinic schedule will be released two weeks at a time. Vaccine clinics will be scheduled from late October through at least December

Date to Remember

Tuesday, November 3

Election Day

Friday, November 6

Student Store/During Lunch

Wednesday, November 11

NO SCHOOL

Veterans Day

Friday, November 13

MINIMUM DAY

Grades 1-6/Dismissal/12:26pm

All Kindergarten/8:00am-11:20am

Hawaiian Day

Monday, November 16

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Tuesday, November 17

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

PTO Italia Paneterria & Deli Night

Wednesday, November 18

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Thursday, November 19

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Friday, November 20

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Monday, November 23

PTO General Board Meeting/6:30pm

Small MPR

Tuesday, November 24

All Kindergarten/8:00am-11:20am

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Play

6:00pm

Thursday, November 26

NO SCHOOL

Thanksgiving Day

Friday, November 27

NO SCHOOL

Thanksgiving Friday

Del Escritorio de la Principal

Estimados Padres,

Niños sanos—es algo que toda familia desea tener. Los siguientes son algunos consejos importantes sobre la salud mental y física de su niño.

Salud Mental

Los niños necesitan dormir. Los niños necesitan 10 horas de sueño cada noche para estar descansados y listos para dar lo mejor de sí mismos. Mantenga la televisión fuera del cuarto de su niño, y establezca reglas para la hora de “apagar las luces”, siendo un poco flexible los viernes o sábados por la noche.

Mantenga abierta la comunicación. Aunque se encuentre muy ocupada, es esencial que esté disponible cuando sus niños tengan algo importante que conversar con usted. Asigne una palabra en clave, algo tan simple como “plátano” que ellos puedan decir para indicar están teniendo problemas. Asegúrese de que comprendan que la palabra en clave no debe usarse a la ligera—como en peleas triviales entre hermanos. Pero cuando ellos sí la necesiten para algo serio, déles toda su atención.

Comer y Beber

Descarte la comida basura. Todos necesitamos un mínimo diario de cinco frutas y vegetales, así es que mantenga suficientes frutas frescas y jugos naturales. Si sus hijos comen en la cafetería de la escuela, anímelos a que seleccionen tantas frutas y vegetales como puedan—y que los coman antes de empezar a comer el plato principal. Si usted les prepara el almuerzo, evite galletas y alimentos con un alto contenido de grasa. Déles “pretzels” (galletas tostadas cubiertas con sal), o palomitas de maíz y frutas frescas o secas.

Tenga cuidado con las bebidas. El agua es definitivamente el mejor calmante para la se—contiene cero calorías, está siempre disponible, y es gratuita. Los refrescos endulzados con azúcar o mieles proporcionan cientos de calorías vacías, y aunque la leche sea muy buena para los cuerpos en crecimiento (incluyendo adultos), es importante sustituir leche entera con una con un bajo contenido de grasa o libre de ésta.

Salud Física

Manténgase en movimiento. Salga, con toda la familia a caminar, correr o andar en bicicleta varias veces a la semana. Comience un “club” de entrenamiento familiar, marcando el progreso que tiene cada miembro de la familia en actividades desde baloncesto hasta brincar la cuerda.

Mantenga un hogar libre de humo de cigarrillo. Si usted o algún otro adulto en su hogar fuma, hágale a sus hijos un favor de por vida—nunca fume dentro de la casa o en el automóvil. El humo de segunda mano puede conducir a una serie de problemas serios de la salud, desde dificultades para respirar hasta cáncer. Si usted puede, ¡deje de fumar! o limite su consumo y haga todo lo necesario para mantener a sus hijos libres de este hábito dañino.

No descuide las revisiones preventivas con el médico o dentista. Los tratamientos con fluoruro y la detección temprana de cavidades o problemas con las encías pueden salvar a su niño de dolores de muela u otros problemas dentales. Lo mismo es cierto para las citas médicas—una gota de prevención es realmente una gran cura. Inclusive, hay un programa nacional para ayudar a familias sin recursos económicos para pagar seguro médico.

Aunque haya mucho de qué preocuparse cuando se tiene niños en casa, recuerde esto: El mantenerlos sanos—tanto física como mentalmente—es su trabajo más importante.

Debbie Bohn, Principal

H1N1 Vaccination Clinics
Public Health's H1N1 vaccination clinics will provide free H1N1 vaccines to residents who do not have health insurance or a regular source of health care, and are in a priority group.
A list of dates and locations can be found on the Public Health website
at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov or by calling the LA County information
line at 2-1-1 from any landline or cell phone. The vaccine clinic schedule will be released two weeks at a time. Vaccine clinics will be scheduled from late October through at least December.

Help the Children

For the month of November, we will collect all canned vegetables other than green beans and corn. Thank you

Fechas para recordar

Friday, November 6

Student Store/During Lunch

Wednesday, November 11

NO SCHOOL

Veterans Day

Friday, November 13

MINIMUM DAY

Grades 1-6/Dismissal/12:26pm

All Kindergarten/8:00am-11:20am

Hawaiian Day

Monday, November 16

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Tuesday, November 17

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

PTO Italia Paneterria & Deli Night

Wednesday, November 18

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Thursday, November 19

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Friday, November 20

PTO Holiday Gift Shop/TBA

Monday, November 23

PTO General Board Meeting/6:30pm

Small MPR

Tuesday, November 24

All Kindergarten/8:00am-11:20am

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Play

6:00pm

Thursday, November 26

NO SCHOOL

Thanksgiving Day

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